Battle Against Burbot - article/video

[MountainMan]

Sounds like fishing pressure may be having some affect on the burbot in F.G. 

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=17954121&title=battle-against-aggressive-burbot-fish-at-flaming-gorge-showing-success

[Wind River Kid]

Wow I had no idea. Definitely a good reason to attend the burbot bash this year.

[surflizard]

Thats some Great news for you guys, Good luck !!

[POk3s]

Definitely happy to hear that....now if Aaron Million's pipeline proposal would get denied I could breathe a lot easier!

[Kinkyline]

   Just a question to some of the Flaming Gorge guys...Are the lake trout not doing so well...seems they would keep the ling in check and given time balance out the population.

[POk3s]

The lake trout are doing just fine. I'm sure someone else can give you a better answer then me but that's the reason the limit in lake trout is 8 a day. The pups have to be kept in check because they're targeting the same fish as the burbot (kokanee in particular). Basically you can't train a species of fish to only eat burbot. With that said I'm sure the lakers will eat ling when they come upon them.

[surflizard]

Thats a very healthy lake trout fishery, 8 a day ! We're allowed 2 ! 

[POk3s]

There's a slot limit but you get the point. I still didn't keep anymore then 5 last year. Half the time I was cooking them for other people and dropping fish off at their house. No need for me to keep 8 like G and F wants when I can't eat that many....I will be smoking them this year so we'll see if my attitude changes.

I do have a completely different attitude toward ling btw.

[Matt R.]

I really don't mean to stir the pot but, Tell me again why the ling are so bad?

They taste great, are easy to catch, the lake trout eat them, people travel to the F.G. to fish for them all winter,
there are 3 ice fishing Derby's now (that I know of), and they are every bit as indigenous as all the other sport fish species in F.G.?

It's just very hard to understand when on one side of the great divide we are really trying to eliminate them completely, and on the other side we restrict limits and spend money on research to boost their population?

Like I said I'm not trying to step on anybodies toes, Just a bit confused.

[WYIfish]

I really don't mean to stir the pot but, Tell me again why the ling are so bad?

They taste great, are easy to catch, the lake trout eat them, people travel to the F.G. to fish for them all winter,
there are 3 ice fishing Derby's now (that I know of), and they are every bit as indigenous as all the other sport fish species in F.G.?

It's just very hard to understand when on one side of the great divide we are really trying to eliminate them completely, and on the other side we restrict limits and spend money on research to boost their population?

Like I said I'm not trying to step on anybodies toes, Just a bit confused.

Doh, they are slimy, smell like wet wool socks, and will eat anything that swims including kokanee that are so beloved. They will also eat the windling in mumbers smallmouth bass.

[POk3s]

Well to answer your question with another question....what species of fish are in the lakes that have ling in them on the other side of the divide. Now that you have that picture in your head, picture the gorge. Trout, kokanee, and smallmouth bass for the most part. The only real predator is supposed to the lake trout. Now there are two species of predators in the lake that will eat anything...and their main food source is kokanee salmon. the koke numbers are dropping and so are the rest of the game fish including rainbow trout and a big hit to the smallmouth because the bass live in the same spots of the lake as the ling do. Not to mention the ling have eaten all of the crayfish that the bass use to survive. The species of fish in the Gorge are not built to live with the ling.

[Matt R.]

Doh, they are slimy, smell like wet wool socks, and will eat anything that swims including kokanee that are so beloved. They will also eat the windling in mumbers smallmouth bass.

Well fair enough then, I will trade you all my carp fishing opportunity's over here for your ling!

[jopes]

Well fair enough then, I will trade you all my carp fishing opportunity's over here for your ling!

Hey your pretty good at catchin Carp   

[Kinkyline]

Well to answer your question with another question....what species of fish are in the lakes that have ling in them on the other side of the divide. Now that you have that picture in your head, picture the gorge. Trout, kokanee, and smallmouth bass for the most part. The only real predator is supposed to the lake trout. Now there are two species of predators in the lake that will eat anything...and their main food source is kokanee salmon. the koke numbers are dropping and so are the rest of the game fish including rainbow trout and a big hit to the smallmouth because the bass live in the same spots of the lake as the ling do. Not to mention the ling have eaten all of the crayfish that the bass use to survive. The species of fish in the Gorge are not built to live with the ling.Thanks Trent,,,Boysen has a good population of walleye and the ling  are way fewer than they used to be, Have the wallies or cats thinned them out I don't know. Good question fpr G&F. The limit is 3 on Boysen.

[Dorado]

The fish assemblage in FG is almost completely artificial (introduced nonnative fishes).  The problem with burbot is that there are already too many predators in the lake (lakers, rainbows, brown trout, smallmouth).  What ultimately drives the energy (food) in the reservoir is the phytoplankton, and zooplankton that consume it.  The zooplankton is then consumed by the kokanee (and other planktivores), which can then be consumed by the predators in the lake.  When the balance between planktivores and predators gets out of whack, the link between the energy source (plankton) and the predators is broken.

While lake trout may consume burbot, burbot are not planktivores and could ultimately affect the kokanee and the  lake trout in FG both through direct predation and by disrupting the food web.

Hope that did not sound too much like a lecture!.

[MTangler]

Well fair enough then, I will trade you all my carp fishing opportunity's over here for your ling!

HAHA Ditto! 

[Matt R.]

The fish assemblage in FG is almost completely artificial (introduced nonnative fishes).  The problem with burbot is that there are already too many predators in the lake (lakers, rainbows, brown trout, smallmouth).  What ultimately drives the energy (food) in the reservoir is the phytoplankton, and zooplankton that consume it.  The zooplankton is then consumed by the kokanee (and other planktivores), which can then be consumed by the predators in the lake.  When the balance between planktivores and predators gets out of whack, the link between the energy source (plankton) and the predators is broken.

While lake trout may consume burbot, burbot are not planktivores and could ultimately affect the kokanee and the  lake trout in FG both through direct predation and by disrupting the food web.

Hope that did not sound too much like a lecture!.

Great  answer man!

So the koke's are having a rough go of it, and the ling are not only doing well but are responsible for the decline in kokanee fishing,, and direct competition to the Mackinaw. I think I understand your perspective.

I just hope people appreciate what a cool resource they have right now with the ling, and are not just killing them because that's what the current opinion of them is. I don't even like seeing folks throw suckers up on the bank.

[Wyofarmer]

I don't even like seeing folks throw suckers up on the bank.

I'll second that Matt! Nothing makes me madder than when i see perfectly good catfish bait laying rotting on the bank. Plus it's not a fun smell to fish right next to. Glad they are doing something about the burbot down there.

[winterbot428]

My Dad worked on that dam at Flaming Gorge,  He was a surveyor back in the day...